Sakura's Determination
by PinkStar115
Summary: Facing the last part of the Chuunin Exams, each member of Team 7 must face their fears and troubles. With danger lurking just around the corner, will they succeed? {Sequel to Sakura's Revelation}
1. Aptitude

Sakura's Determination

~ {Aptitude} ~

* * *

_Previously…_

**At the Hospital…**

"Where's Sasuke's room?" Sakura questioned politely.

"Sasuke-sama is not being allowed any visitors." The receptionist denied courteously.

"What the hell?!" Naruto blurted out.

"I-It's hard to explain, but…" Another medic stuttered.

"Naruto! Quiet down." Kakashi ordered, appearing from a corner.

"Kakashi-sensei!" The two members of Team 7 chorused.

"Hey, I have a request!" Naruto ran over to him.

"No need to tell me, I already know what you're going to ask. I already found someone who will help you with your training." Kakashi coolly replied.

"WHY?! I want you, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto interjected.

"I've got some business to take care of, so…" The silver-haired jounin drifted.

Sakura crossed her arms, not pleased with his excuse. "You're planning to train Sasuke, aren't you?" The jade-eyed girl deadpanned.

Kakashi merely blinked and sheepishly chuckled, until something caught his attention for a split second. Kikyo was walking with a little brown-haired girl, who looked about the age of 5, with a cast on her leg and crutches supporting her as she walked. Naruto glared at his teacher, not noticing his lack of attention and waited for his answer.

"Look, I've found a teacher that's more reliable than me." The jounin stated, keeping a track on Kikyo's chakra as she walked with the little girl outside towards a bench. "Who is it?" Naruto probed. "It's _me_!" A voice shouted behind the Team 7 trio.

"**OH! YOU'RE THE CLOSET PERVERT!" ** Naruto shouted.

* * *

"Closet pervert?" Sakura questioned, suddenly weary of the man.

"Yeah! Sakura-chan I once caught him with my—" The blonde was cut off suddenly when Ebisu covered his mouth with his hand.

"MMFFF!" Naruto protested, struggling to remove his hand.

"Anyways, I'll leave you to Ebisu for the upcoming Chuunin Exams." Kakashi waved his gloved hand, exiting to pursue Kikyo and the little child.

"Wait Kakashi-sensei—" The pinkette started, but the silver-haired jounin had already gone. _'Damn him. Who will train me on such short notice?'_ She cursed silently, balling her small fist.

**With Kakashi…**

The little girl and archer sat together on a nearby bench with the cool breeze ruffling Kikyo's loose ponytail and the girl's short chestnut locks. Her wooden crutches were neatly leaning against the bench, with bandages tightly wrapped around for grip.

"Maeko, does your leg hurt?" Kikyo softly questioned. Kakashi, concealed by the shadows, listened intently as the iris-eyed girl responded with a slight nod. The tawny-eyed woman stood up and kneeled on her right leg in front of Maeko, examining her leg.

"Kikyo-san," she whispered, "what if I don't recover?"

Stiffening, the long-haired woman's hands shakily retreated as she looked up into iris orbs with worry.

"Why would you say that? You'll recover, I know it." She replied, turning her attention back to her leg.

"But…the hospital can't take care of me forever. If I recover—" Kikyo shot her a look of disapproval at her wording. "—_When_ I recover, where am I going to go?" The chestnut-haired girl inquired.

"I honestly don't know," The titian-eyed woman answered truthfully.

"But I'll make a promise with you." A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips as she reached into her pocket of her scarlet-red nagabakama.

_'What is she doing…?'_ Kakashi wondered, narrowing his sharp gaze at the two.

Kikyo pulled out a small purple butterfly shaped container with clear liquid in it.

"Eh? What's that?" The five-year old queried. Smiling at her curiosity, the tawny-eyed woman unscrewed the cap of the container, revealing a small plastic wand with two small round holes coated with the clear substance.

Gently blowing, translucent bubbles wafted through the air, amazing the chestnut-haired girl. She shrieked in delight, popping the bubble that floated near her.

"They're called bubbles," Kikyo chimed with her bell-like voice. "Do you like them?"

"Hai!" Maeko giggled.

"Well, you can have them." Kikyo said, tightly capping the container and placing it into her outstretched hand.

"When you fully recover, blow the bubbles so that I'll know that you've recovered." She instructed, closing the five-year old's hand into a small fist.

"Okay!" Maeko chirped, iris eyes twinkling with happiness. Suddenly, a small boy with dandelion yellow coloured hair ran by, his dark gray eyes piercing Maeko's iris orbs. The chestnut haired girl blushed a carnation pink, averted her gaze to her feet; causing the boy to chuckle and run off.

"Who was he?" Kikyo inquired, amused by the whole exchange.

"H-His name is Ren. He comes by to visit me w-when I'm in the hospital." She stammered, her face still a shade of pink.

"Oh. That's nice." The long-haired woman commented.

"Well, it's time to go back inside. Remember our promise, okay?" The archer stated, picking up Maeko's crutches. The chestnut haired girl nodded enthusiastically and clasped her crutches from Kikyo, propping herself up to walk back into the hospital.

"Bye Kikyo-san!" Maeko hollered, just before a nurse helped her back in.

"That was nice." Kakashi complimented, stepping out from behind the tree. Startled, the tawny-eyed woman glanced behind her.

"O-Oh. I didn't see you there, Kakashi." She stuttered slightly.

"What's her story?" He inquired.

"She was a little girl found among the debris of a Sound raid. Maeko's parents died and she contracted Fields' disease."

"What's Fields' disease?" The silver-haired jounin probed, earning a grim look from the woman.

"It's a rare disease that makes the body's muscles slowly deteriorate and limit movements. Her leg is the only body part that's affected right now. But soon..." She drifted, unable to finish her sentence.

"Kikyo, she'll recover." Kakashi assured, patting her shoulder.

"I know, but it still worries me." The russet-eyed woman sighed.

"How are you going to know that she recuperated if the bubbles pop before you see them?" The Sharingan user questioned.

"Don't worry. I'll find a way, no matter what." The archer spoke with a determined edge.

"But enough about me. What about your students?" She queried.

"Oh, they're fine. You know how my students are, they're nervous about the Chuunin Exams, I know." He stated, nodding to himself.

"They all will be receiving training over the month, correct?" Tensing, he managed to collect himself and answer. "Oh yeah, Sasuke will be trained by me, Naruto has a trainer and Sakura—"

"—doesn't have a trainer." Kikyo pursued her lips in distaste.

"Kakashi. You know better than that." She spoke sternly. The silver-haired jounin's lone eye widened. He felt disappointed at himself, vindictive even.

"Sakura is a part of Team 7, so she deserves to be treated the same." The archer scolded mildly, steadily stepping away and disappearing; endowing Kakashi some time alone to himself.


	2. Tutelage

Sakura's Determination

~ {Tutelage} ~

* * *

"Hmm…" Kikyo hummed to herself as she walked, her ponytail swaying side to side. _'I wonder where Sakura is…'_ The long haired woman thought as she walked across an empty field.

"Kikyo-san!" A voice called out, making her pause and turn around.

Sakura jogged up to her and wearily asked, "May you please train me for the Chuunin Exams?"

"Absolutely." The tawny-eyed woman quipped.

"R-Really?" The pinkette straightened, bewildered.

Nodding, Kikyo stated, "We'll start tomorrow. I've seen your abilities already, so I know where to work with you."

"Hai, Kikyo-san!" Sakura saluted.

"Be here at 12:00pm sharp." The archer instructed, steadily walking away.

**At the Hot Springs...**

"No, No Naruto-kun! That's the women's bathing area. I won't allow such shameless acts." Ebisu scolded when Naruto accidently peeked.

_ 'Huh, that's weird cause you're the closet pervert.'_ Naruto grumbled inwardly.

"We will be training here, Naruto-kun." He announced.

"Huh? What are we going to do here?" The blonde questioned.

"We will be walking atop the hot spring water." Ebisu instructed.

"Ohhh," Naruto said in amazement. "so it's like the tree-climbing exercise?" He asked.

"Well, almost. When you're walking on water, the water is constantly moving, so it's difficult to maintain a good stable amount of chakra. Unlike the tree, you just have to stick to the tree and walk. With water, you must stay afloat." The stern man pushed up his glasses.

"Alright! I'm going to try!" The blue-eyed blonde exclaimed, gathering up chakra and sending it to his feet. Naruto took one step and fell into the boiling water.

**"**_**AGGGHHHHHHH!**_**"** He boomed, startling the women in the baths._ 'I'm going to get this!'_ He thought and promptly made the hand sign again. He gained some balance before collapsing into the steaming water. _**"HOOOTTT!" **_Naruto screamed.

***Flashback***

"_Hehe! You're really putting all your effort today, young mister!" Ebisu chuckled as he watched Konohamaru do his training._

_ "This is usually the time where you go set up your surprise attack on the Hokage, but my training has really gotten to you!" He continued._

_ Panting, Konohamaru mumbled, "I quit that stuff already…"_

_ "If you keep following my training, it'll be a shortcut to becom__—" _

_"—THERE IS NO SHORTCUT!" The small boy denied. _

_"Naruto-nii-chan told me, if you want to become Hokage, you'll have to accept that!" Konohamaru stated._

***End Flashback***

"Whoo! I think I'm starting to get it!" The blonde wobbled on top of the boiling water.

_'I think I was wrong about you, Naruto.'_ Ebisu thought, pushing up his glasses._ 'It's true that there aren't any shortcuts, no matter what you do or try.'_ The stern teacher smirked as Naruto continued to quake.

"AAAA—!" Naruto cut off when he fell into the hot spring. Alert, Ebisu turned around to find a person sitting and peeping at women.

"Heh. I don't know who you are but…I will not forgive such shameless acts!" The stern jounin ran at the man. Suddenly, the man turned around and summoned a giant toad, startling Ebisu. The toad's tongue shot off and whacked Ebisu, sending him flying to the ground, unconscious.

The animal's tongue retracted and the man spoke.

"Man! Keep it quiet! What am I going to do if I get caught?!" He exclaimed.

Naruto swam to the ledge of the hot spring, amazed by the unknown man. _'Closet pervert lost? Who's this guy?!'_ The blonde wondered as he jumped out of the water to Ebisu. _'I knew it, this guy is a weakling.'_ The Genin mused and plastered on his best glare. _**"YOU. WHAT'S THAT HUGE FROG?! AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"**_ Naruto thundered, inspecting him.

He was a tall man with spiky white hair that was gathered into a pony tail with two shoulder-length bangs framing his peach-coloured face. Two lines of cardinal red ran from his eyes with a small wart on the right side of his nose. He wore an olive green training shirt and pants paired with mesh armour underneath. A red haori with two yellow circles on each side served as an overcoat and he sported wooden sandals on his feet.

"Haven't you heard of me?! I'm Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin of Mt. Myoboku-gama. Remember it!" The spiky haired man grinned.

"This is my summoning toad, Gama. Wave, Gama!" Jiraiya instructed. The orange toad lifted up its limb and waved to Naruto. Feeling safe, the blonde waved back at the amphibian.

"Alright! You can go back." The Sannin dispersed his summon and Gama disappeared.

"Why did you do that? That guy was supposed to be my teacher!" Naruto complained.

"Well, he was interfering with my research." Jiraiya defended. Confused, the Genin probed, "Research? What do you research on for?"

"This!" The perverted Sannin whipped out a copy of Come Come Paradise.

"EHHHHH?!" The blue-eyed boy almost shrieked, remembering Kakashi holding the book and kicking him in the stomach when they trained with Kikyo.

"OH! You know about this?" Jiraiya inquired, _'It's getting pretty famous…'_ He added as an afterthought.

"THAT'S A _**NASTY**_ BOOK!" Naruto screamed. The Toad Sannin pursued his lips and grumpily put it away.

"AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN _"WORK"_? ALL YOU WERE DOING WAS PEEPING INTO THE WOMEN'S BATH! AT MY AGE IT MIGHT JUST BE A PRANK, BUT AN _**OLD MAN**_ DOING IT IS A CRIME!" The blonde yelled. Sweat bullets ran down the side of the peach-coloured man's face as he loudly retorted, "YOU IDIOT! I AM NOT A PERVERT! Peeping just gives me inspiration to write better."

"LIAR! What are you going to do about my training?!" Naruto belted.

"Training? Are you talking about that water walking?" The Sannin queried.

"You know about it?!" The boy stated, incredulous. "Then take responsibility…and help me with my training!" Naruto demanded.

"**NO!** I HATE RUDE BRATS!" Jiraiya denied angrily, his tone making the Genin flinch away in fear. _'Alright…try a different approach.'_ Naruto thought mischievously.

"That Come Come Paradise is so cool!" The Kyuubi host complimented. Snorting derisively, Jiraiya saw through the façade and replied, "Liar, that book is only for adults 18+ up." _'This guy! Fine…then I'll…'_ Naruto cut off his thought, focused his chakra as the pervert rambled on. "I'm a Sannin. I'm not stupid enough to be fooled by the likes of you." He growled.

"How about this~?" Naruto suddenly transformed into a curvaceous young girl with a large bust size and flat stomach, white clouds covering private parts. Long blonde hair was styled into two twin ponytails that went past shoulder-length. Blue eyes were twinkling as he forced a small blush onto whiskered cheeks.

"I LIKE YOU!" Jiraiya exclaimed, drops of blood falling from his nose.

_'What an idiot…'_ The blonde grumbled, still holding the provocative pose.

"What's this jutsu?! I've got to know!" The Toad Sannin probed, examining the female from every angle.

"Well…I call it Sexy-No-Jutsu, but…" Naruto drawled.

"OOH! What creativity!" The spiky haired man shamelessly ogled and adored.

"Then…you'll help me with my training~?" The blue-eyed boy put his finger to his lips, forming a cute expression.

"Yes! But there's a condition…" The perverted man stated. "Condition…?" The whiskered Genin slowly inquired.

Normal POV

Jiraiys suddenly turned away, a nosebleed steadily streaming down as he twiddled with his fingers.

"When you're around me…you always have to be like that…" He grinned, a red flush on his cheeks. Naruto, aghast at his request, released his jutsu and claimed, "**I KNEW IT! YOU'RE JUST A PERVERT!"**

"No! That's not true! I'm not just a pervert!" The Sannin abjured. Beginning to cackle, Jiraiya chided the blonde by stating, "**I'M A **_**SUPER**_** PERVERT!**" _'This guy…'_ Naruto sighed, _'He's nuts.'_

"Hehe, I was kidding. I'll help you with your training," Naruto perked up at this. "do what you were doing before. You know, the water-walking thing." He instructed.

"YEAH!" The fox-demon boy rejoiced, running over to the bath area. He focused chakra to his feet and attempted to walk on the water, but continued to stagger. _'Huh?'_ Jiraiya noticed, his eyes narrowing when Naruto fell into the springs.

"Ugh! I should've taken my clothes off earlier, damn it!" The Genin groaned, throwing his jacket onto the rocks and stepping out to remove his pants.

"Pull out your chakra again," The Sannin apprised, stepping towards the soaked boy.

"Um, okay." Naruto agreed, focusing his chakra again. The seal on his stomach began to appear, mark by mark. _'It's a complex seal, but that's to be expected from the Fourth Hokage,'_ Jiraiya speculated, _'besides, it's to protect this kid, isn't it…'_ He added.

_'This kid's chakra isn't mixing with the fox's chakra because of a five part seal, most likely because of Orochimaru…'_ The perverted man focused chakra to his fingertips and hid his hand behind his back.

"Naruto, was it? Come over here," He beckoned.

Suspicious, the blonde slowly walked to Jiraiya. "raise your hands." The Toad Sannin slammed his hand onto Naruto's stomach, knocking the breath out of his gut. _**"FIVE PART UNSEAAAAL!"**_

Orochimaru's seal on Naruto's stomach faded, leaving Naruto to clutch his stomach as he tried to steady his breathing.

"W-What did you do?" He quivered.

"I made you relax. You were too tense before and that made your chakra unstable." Jiraiya lied. "Try walking on the water again." He pointed towards the water.

Naruto hesitantly stepped onto the water, wary that he would fall into the steaming hot water, but stayed afloat.

"Huh?! I don't understand, but it worked!" Naruto exclaimed, making Jiraiya slightly smirk in satisfaction. _'It's time for him to learn how to control the kyuubi's chakra…'_ He thought.

"Hey, Naruto! I'm going to teach you something unique!" Jiraiya called him over.

"Oh! Really?" The blonde said with excitement evident in his features.

"First, you need to understand that you have two types of chakra." The pervert calmly notified. "Have you ever felt a special chakra that appeared when you're in danger?" He asked.

"Hmm…" Naruto hummed, thinking. "Now that you mention it, I have felt this chakra that fills my whole body with power. When I describe it in colours, it feels like a fiery red next to my normally yellow chakra." Naruto explained.

"Alright! It's getting late, so I'll take this guy in and see me here tomorrow." Jiraiya requested.

"Um…ok." Naruto agreed.

* * *

**The Next Day…**

Ebisu and Jiraiya met on a rooftop. "I'm sorry," Jiraiya apologized, "I didn't mean to take your pupil from you."

"Oh no, that's fine. I was just surprised. See, the Hokage was looking for you endlessly without a trace. But nobody expected you to be in the village." Ebisu clarified.

"Is it because of Orochimaru?" The stern man questioned.

"No, that isn't why. I came here to work on my novels. I'm not really one to intentionally get in danger." The spiky-haired man stated.

"..." The Toad Sannin walked away without a word.

Young girls were splashing in water as they played in the waterfall, unaware that a pervert was lurking nearby.

"Hey!" Naruto whined, "Are you going to teach me or not?"

"Yeah. But before that, do you remember the talk about the two types of chakra inside you? You said that the other chakra was fiery red and your normal chakra was yellow." Jiraiya stated.

"Yeah," Naruto responded, "what about it?"

"Can you try to activate it now?" The Sannin questioned. The blonde nodded and concentrated his chakra.

"Well?" The pervert inquired.

"Nothing. It's just my regular chakra." The blue-eyed boy slumped.

"Wow. You have no talent at all." Jiraiya deadpanned.

"**SHUT UP! I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE TWO CHAKRAS THAT WELL EITHER!**" Naruto fumed.

_'It seems like Naruto hasn't realized that the red chakra is really the Kyuubi's…'_ The Toad Sannin speculated.

* * *

**At noon…**

Sakura walked to the field that Kikyo instructed her to meet her and found the archer already practicing at the targets with her new bow. The bow was wooden and painted a deep rich mahogany colour with the string still shaking from Kikyo's recent barrage on the targets.

"Kikyo-san!" The pinkette called out. The long-haired woman turned, putting her weapon down by her side.

"Sakura," she greeted, "are you ready to begin your training?"

"Hai!" Sakura responded with determination in her voice.

"Very well," Kikyo returned, "let's get started. I want you to work your very hardest this month and since you have no defined opponent; you'll have to be ready for anything. It's my sole duty as your trainer to prepare you for any attack, genjutsu, ninjutsu, taijutsu, etc."

**Earlier with Kikyo…**

_'If Dosu is her opponent, she'll have to be ready against sound attacks that affect her ears. She could always plug her ears with chakra, but that metal attachment on his arm might make it worse as he could overpower her chakra with his.'_ Kikyo considered to herself.

_'But if Shikamaru is her opponent, she'll match him with intelligence but his shadow technique is quite….useful.'_ The long-haired woman mused. _'Temari has wind attacks fused with chakra, slicing anything in her path. But wind's weakness is earth. However, if she combines enough chakra in that wind, it might backfire on Sakura…'_ Narrowing her russet orbs, she came to her decision.

_'All I can do today is to increase her chakra reserves for the techniques she has to learn.'_

"Alright Sakura," Kikyo started, "Today I will have to increase your chakra reserves immensely. I have a feeling that you'll be facing Dosu for the Exams, but if I'm wrong, I'll prepare you to verse against Shikamaru or Temari."

"Of course. But what's weak against sound?" Sakura questioned.

"To be honest, I thought I could teach you a Fire Jutsu to melt Dosu's metal arm attachment so he wouldn't be able to hit you and affect your hearing." The jounin confessed.

"Oh. Well that works too." Sakura agreed.

"But after you have the Fire jutsu mastered, I'll have to demonstrate the jutsus I want you to become proficient in." Kikyo stated seriously.

The pinkette nodded and Kikyo tossed her a scroll from the sleeve of her white jacket.

"Open that scroll up and just study the movements. I'll show you the result now as I myself have mastered it." The archer put down her bow and weapon onto the ground and stepped a good distance away —at least 8 feet— from her pupil.

Taking a deep breath and forming hand signs in the order of Snake, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Rat, Kikyo quickly balled her fists at her side. Tawny orbs flew shut in concentration as she felt heat form a string ahead of her, stretching at least 6 feet. When she snapped her eyes open, two whips constructed of fire appeared at both of my pale fists. _'Fire Style: Heaven Fire Whips!'_

Two whips at least 6 feet waved into the air as the long-haired woman performed an elegant dance, making the whip crackle and snap as she moved. Narrowing my titian orbs, the archer spied a training dummy near the end of the field as she slowly danced her way to it, the twin lashes following after. Now beginning to run, she trounced her right handed whip and slashed the dummy across its chest, setting it on fire. Before it completely was swallowed by the flames, the jounin struck it across both of its legs, sending it tumbling down to the grass.

Kikyo relaxed and slowed down her running, letting the flame whips slowly disperse. "Wow, that was amazing Kikyo-san!" Sakura applauded, striding over to the woman.

"Thank you," She stated, "that is the technique you will be learning."

"Really? Will it be at least 6 feet long?!" Sakura inquired, shocked.

"No, with your height and future chakra amount, it will be at least 4 feet long."Kikyo corrected.

"But if I pour more chakra into it, will it increase in size?" The pinkette queried.

"Sakura," The long-haired woman said sternly, "if you were to try that technique in battle, it would take up 50% of your chakra, maybe even more. You're a medic, meaning that you need to evade, not to save your own life or run away, but to give hope for the future at least once by healing many shinobi."

"I understand." The green-eyed girl answered.

"Good. Now, in order to increase your current chakra reserves, I want us to do some vigorous training. You have to run two laps around the field and practice fighting with my clones." The long-black haired woman ordered.

"Hai." The Genin responded.

* * *

**Hello! This chapter is extra-long because I haven't updated in a while.**

**I hope you all enjoy the story so far!**


	3. Surmise

Sakura's Determination

~ {Surmise} ~

* * *

As Sakura was sprinting around the field, a feeling of dysphoria settled upon her as she remembered Sasuke's match in the Preliminary rounds. _'He froze in the air like a statue when he was facing Yoroi…'_ The green-eyed girl thought, her long pink hair flying behind her. _'Could something have happened? He was acting a little off since the Forest of Death…'_

Near the end of her lap, Sakura slowed down and equipped a kunai to prepare herself.

"Ready?" Kikyo queried.

The pre-teen merely nodded in response; the archer forming a hand sign and 3 clones appearing. Unfortunately for Sakura, they were equipped with bows and arrows, making it difficult for her to dodge and attack at the same time.

"Begin!" Kikyo shouted.

_'Those arrows are dangerous…I've got to think of a counter-attack.'_ The pinkette narrowed her emerald orbs, her quick mind already flying with strategies.

'_I've got to be faster and stronger if I want to stand a chance against that man…!' _Kikyo clenched her jaw in frustration as she unleashed another barrage of arrows on the targets and occasionally glancing at Sakura to see her progress._ 'Kakashi warned me about him…he's Orochimaru, the legendary Snake Sannin. He said that I shouldn't face him and that he should be the one that verses him…but I can't stay on the sidelines! I've got to train and become stronger to help him when he needs it most.'_ She muttered silently inside her mind.

_'Damn it! This is so difficult!'_ The pinkette cursed, evading another sharp arrow._ 'Maybe if I can sneak behind her, I could get rid of one clone!'_ Sakura smirked, but quickly wiped it off as it reminded her of a certain duck-butt haired boy._ 'Wow, I am picking up habits now…What else am I going to pick up—slurping ramen?'_ The kunoichi chuckled at the mind image, but gasped when a clone attacked too close for comfort.

"Focus, Sakura!" They all chided simultaneously. Sweat-dropping, she hastily retorted, "Okay, Okay!"

* * *

**With Kakashi…**

A hand suddenly grasped at the side of a rocky cliff edge as the figure hauled himself upwards. _'For cliff-climbing to be this strenuous…Will I make it in time?'_ Kakashi pondered to himself.

***Flashback***

"_The reason I called for this meeting is because of I am sure that you all know of—" The Hokage was interrupted by a knock on the door. _

_"Come in." He stated. _

_The door opened to reveal Kikyo. _

_"Gomen, Hokage-sama." The long-black haired woman bowed, apologizing for her tardiness. _

_"It's alright, Kikyo-san." The Hokage pardoned, gesturing for her to take a seat. Nodding, the archer maneuvered her way through the crowd of shinobi and took a seat next to Kakashi._

_"As I was saying, I'm sure that all of you know of the Forest of Death incident. Orochimaru is nearby and he is up to something." The Hokage stated, pausing to hear audible gasps in the room._

_ "We should probably cancel the Chuunin Exams. The villagers are in danger." Someone suggested. _

_"No," The Hokage chided, "Orochimaru threatened that if we cancel it, he'll destroy the Leaf." _

"_Is one of our alliances working with him?" Another voice rang out. _

_"There is a possibility." Kikyo chimed in. _

_"In any case, there are ANBU gathering information in other countries, so do not worry." Homura assured, her wrinkled face attempting to pull a smile._

_**After the meeting…**_

"_Kikyo…" A voice whispered out, before lightly tapping her shoulder. _

_"Yes..." She drawled, turning around to see who it was, "Kakashi. What is it?"_

"_I—I wanted to apologize for not getting Sakura a trainer for the Exams." The silver-haired jounin confessed, gazing straight into her eyes._

_"Why are you apologizing to me?" The tawny-eyed woman coolly questioned, returning the stare to the jounin. _

_"You should be saying sorry to Sakura, your student, not me." She turned, walking away and out the door._

***End Flashback***

When Kakashi attempted to lift himself again, the rock under his foot gave way, and he had to grab onto the ledge tighter, careful not to break his grip. Concentrating hard, he managed to swing himself high and grasped the ledge.

"Hey…" A lone figure stood at the top of the cliff, greeting him.

"So you're finally here…" Kakashi mused.

* * *

**Back with Sakura…**

"Ok, I think that's enough for today, Sakura-san." Kikyo stated, her three clones disappearing with a poof.

"Hai." The pinkette panted out, putting away her kunai wearily.

"Your chakra level has increased, not yet to the level I want it to be, but it has improved." The jounin smiled before deadpanning, "Same time and same place tomorrow."

Sakura groaned before falling onto the ground in exhaustion.

**At the Hospital…**

A girl with vanilla-coloured hair opened her baby-blue eyes; her vision blurry. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly sat up and clutched her side in pain. _'What happened to me…?'_ Ino wondered to herself. Glancing to the side, two flowers stood in a small vase, side by side, almost as if leaning on each other for support.

"A yarrow flower and a yellow zinnia…" The Genin smiled, reaching over to smell them.

"The yarrow flower means good health and a yellow zinnia means daily remembrance…but who could've…?" Ino marveled aloud, slanting her blue eyes back to the nightstand to find a card neatly—and strategically placed—under the slender vase.

Rolling her eyes, she picked up the card and speculated the front. It was simple but had the decoration of clouds on a sunny day with a forest green hill. Opening the card, she found a simplistic message consisting of, "Get better soon."

Almost laughing, Ino set the card down on the table and fell back into the soft pillows of her hospital bed; drifting back to sleep.

* * *

**Back at the springs...**

Naruto collapsed onto the rocky surface, exhausted and drained of chakra. _'He collapsed again...'_ Jiraiya noticed, staring down at Naruto's weary and unconscious body splayed upon the rocks. _'Seems like the fox's chakra is drawn when is emotions are really wild. I'll have to use his body to learn the lesson...Forgive me, Fourth...'_ Jiraiya silently apologized.

**In the Hokage Tower...**

"Anko," The Hokage greeted with a solemn smile, "what is it?"

The violet-haired woman's eyes were downcast, revealing her silent thoughts. "You wish that you had died when you were in the Forest of Death." The Hokage merely stated, making the Jounin's beaver-coloured orbs widen as her bangs covered her expression.

"It's ok, Anko. You no longer have connections with Orochimaru." Sarutobi pardoned her, now looking at his wrinkled hands.

"A shinobi that can face him..._does_ exist in the Leaf." He murmured, but Anko's keen ears caught it.

"What?! Who?" She probed.

Turning to her, he looked her in the eyes and stated, "Hidaka Kikyo."

* * *

Hey guys! I finally got to update. See, my IB exam is on Wednesday, so my parents are making me do lots of practice tests and I didn't get to update for a pretty long time. I'm sorry about that and I'll try to quickly update. Hehe, I bet some of you thought that the story was dead. Come on guys! I just started it! No way am I going to let it die! Not when I have good plans for this story!


	4. A Gift or Curse?

Sakura's Determination

~ {A Gift or Curse?} ~

* * *

Normal POV

Kikyo suddenly sneezed, earning her some blessings from the villagers as she walked._ 'I wonder who was thinking of me…'_ She mused, thinking of a certain-silver haired jounin. She lightly chuckled to herself, "Don't delude yourself, Kikyo."

Somewhere in Konoha, Kakashi sneezed.

**On the Hokage Mountain…**

"Ne, Iruka-sensei, who'll be the Fifth Hokage?" A child asked naïvely.

"Hehe! Who knows? It might even be me!" The warm-brown eyed teacher joked, earning a deep chuckle from behind.

"It's always nice to see your class, Iruka." The Hokage complimented, blowing smoke out of his pipe.

"Oh! It's the Third!" A student exclaimed.

"Agh! What are you doing here, geezer?!" Konohamaru shouted, pointing at his grandfather.

"I wanted to look at the faces, of course." Sarutobi answered.

"This is the owner of the Third face on the mountain, the Third Hokage-sama. He was said to be the strongest of all and was often called the "professor" for his knowledge." The Academy teacher spoke, almost rehearsed.

"Oi! Iruka! Don't use the past tense!" The Hokage warned sternly, a vein almost popping.

"Ah…sorry." The teacher rubbed his head sheepishly.

"I'll become the Fifth Hokage!" A child with black hair exclaimed.

"Not with your grades, you won't." A classmate quipped, mockingly.

"Haha! I'll be counting on all of you! Unlike me, you are all young. The person to receive the Hokage name may come from this group. However…you only have one life. There's no need to choose an impossible path. It's perfectly fine to live as you wish and die as you like. But you must always protect a precious person, not matter what path you choose." Sarutobi's robes flapped with the wind as he continued.

"You must always have someone who you acknowledge with your heart, trust and love." He puffed a ring of smoke into the rising wind.

"Ne, Hokage-sama, do you have someone like that?" A girl with brown curls inquired.

"Of course! My grandson Konohamaru..." He drifted, his wrinkled face crinkling, "and everyone in this village!" Sarutobi finished with a smile. _'Just like you used to…'_ He thought, directing his gaze to the Fourth Hokage's monument.

* * *

**With Naruto…**

The blonde collapsed on top of the earthy terrain, exhausted. "Huh…?" He mumbled, craning his head upwards.

"This is the last day of training," Jiraiya stated, helping the boy up onto his feet, "if you don't want to die, figure it out yourself." He merely poked and pushed Naruto off of a cliff, his fatigue numbing his senses.

Blue eyes widened as momentum pushed him, his body jerking into a position that would surely crush his organs, body and head if he did not land safely. _**"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !"**_ Naruto's scream echoed with the river's cliff side.

_'Now…let's see if the power given to you was a gift or a curse…'_ Jiraiya smirked, crossing his arms.

_**"AHHHHHH!" **_Naruto's scream reverberated from the slender walls of the cliff, alerting the Toad Sannin to check on him. Seeing a particular piece of stone stick out as a ledge, the blue-eyed blonde quickly planned his move. _'Focus chakra and grab the ledge! If I don't, I'll die!'_

Concentrating his chakra to his feet and hands, he attempted to clench the ledge but broke off chinks of smooth rock._ 'It's useless…at that speed you won't be able to cling with chakra. Plus, the stone is smooth from being polished by the waterfalls. That's good thinking though.'_ Jiraiya complimented inwardly. _'You'll have to use the key, Naruto.'_ He ordered silently.

**In the Hidden Sand Country…**

"Good work, Baki." The Kazekage approved.

"As planned, the three have safely advanced to the finals." The jounin stated.

"Now from here on, we will be counting on the work of you guys on the day." He stated.

"But Kazekage-sama, with only 4 members, can we not place troops around the Fire Country and fool them?" Baki inquired.

"The Leaf aren't stupid. Their ANBU are already scouting out the area. If we place troops, they'll be suspecting us." One shinobi informed beside the Kazekage.

"Now, go." The Kazekage ordered. Baki merely nodded and disappeared, reflecting on the day when he told the Sand Siblings.

***Flashback***

"_The Sand will join with the Sound and war on the Leaf." Baki stated solemnly._

_ Temari made a tsking noise before retorting, "But why now?! It took a long time along with sacrifice to create the Alliance Agreement…To break that…many will die…" She drifted off._

"_In the end, shinobi are tools. The Wind Country's minister used the alliance to weaken the military strength of the Sand Country. But Sound has agreed to join with us to show the minister that we are not weak._

***End Flashback***

* * *

"Oi! Nine-Tails! In exchange for being in my body, give me some chakra!" Naruto commanded, pointing at the beast in his body.

"Hehe…You're pretty bold for coming here…Fine…I'll give you a taste of my power…" The Fox begrudgingly agreed, orange chakra leaking from the cage and coating Naruto.

_'This is it!'_ The blue-eyed blonde thought, biting his thumb and making quick hand signs to call a toad to save him. His palm was facing the ground, a poof of smoke showing that he succeeded. The summon's hands and feet supported itself as Naruto looked behind for a tail. _'No tail…'_ He speculated as he crawled on top of the toad's head, jittering with excitement.

_**"YESSSSS! I DID IT! SUMMONING-NO-JUTSU SUCCESSFUL!"** _He screamed.

_'Looks like he was able to pull out the fox's chakra in time,'_ Jiraiya smirked, _'although he gathered too much and summoned "him" of all toads. I can't even control that one, Gamabunta.'_

"Hey punk! Where's Jiraiya?!" Gamabunta shouted at Naruto, making him confused.

"Huh? I didn't know that you could talk! And I summoned you!" He replied.

"Eh? You did? A small punk? You're kidding me! There's no way that you can call forth Gamabunta, the boss toad!" The red toad guffawed.

"Shut up! I called you here, so deal with it!" The Genin crossed his arms, stubbornly.

"**HEY! YOU WANT YOUR HEAD RIPPED OFF?!"** The toad angrily fumed.

"N-No," Naruto stuttered, "but I really did call you here."

Jiraiya walked off, finding it too much of a hassle to deal with Gamabunta. _'Well, he managed to summon.'_ The Toad Sannin mused, leaving a scroll purposely unwrapped. The boss toad wrapped his tongue around the blue-eyed boy and jumped up, managing to escape the cliff side.

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**" Naruto bellowed, his eyes teary as air whipped into them.

Gamabunta unwrapped his tongue and placed the asleep Genin on the top of his head. Spying a scroll open, the toad looked to see Naruto's name written in crimson. _'Looks like he was telling the truth…he really did summon me…no one's ridden on my head since the Fourth…'_ He mused, travelling to the hospital and dropping him off there.

**With Sakura…**

The kunoichi arrived at the same place as yesterday, meeting Kikyo there.

"Hello Sakura," She greeted, "ready for training?" Sakura nodded, eyes narrowing in determination.

"Very well. Your chakra reserves are almost the amount I want them to be. So, I'll only make you do some light training," The long-black haired woman instructed, "I want you to meditate on your thoughts. It's relaxing and steadily increases your chakra amount."

"What do I meditate on?" The pinkette queried.

The archer shrugged, "Anything, really. Feelings, thoughts, expectations and anticipations."

Uncertain, the pre-teen nodded and sat down cross-legged; starting to think about her feelings towards all her friends and teammates. _'Naruto's my best friend…I love him like a brother and would do anything to protect him. He's funny and sometimes dull-witted; but he's always perceptive and smart.'_ She smiled as her emerald orbs closed at the thought.

_'Sasuke's a pretty cool guy. Although he doesn't show emotion; he shows that he cares through his actions. He's…I guess he's more than a friend to me…A-Anyways, he's a good shinobi and protects me and Naruto.'_ She concluded within the tresses of her mind, fighting down a sudden blush.

_'Kakashi's okay, I just wish that he'd pay less attention to Naruto and Sasuke and actually watch my progress as well.'_ Her lips pursued together as she continued to meditate.

"Sakura," Kikyo interrupted her thoughts, "that's enough meditation. You can try the fire whips now."

"Really?" The pinkette queried, incredulous. "Mm-hmm." Kikyo hummed in agreement, continuing, "Take out that scroll I gave you and try to do the hand-signs."

The viridian-eyed Genin rummaged through her weapon-pouch and found the scroll, unravelling the paper to review the hand-signs. _'Ok… Snake, Tiger, Dragon, Horse and Rat. It doesn't seem too difficult, but I have to really concentrate and control my chakra._' She mused to herself.

Inhaling and exhaling multiple times, Sakura readied herself. _'Snake, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Rat.'_ Chanted the green-eyed girl, concentrating on the amount of power she was about to use. Balling her fists at her side, a slow steady fire began to form at her sides as the pinkette snapped her orbs open; two fire whips equipped.

"Very good, Sakura. Now, try to gain control of the flames." Her sensei instructed, her attention solely focused on her student.

Quickly nodding, the Genin grasped the movements rapidly; nearly shrieking with delight at her progress. The russet-eyed woman smiled fondly, but her eyes widened intensely as her student began to lose control of the flames.

"S-Sakura! Control the—AH!" Kikyo yelped as her hands were slightly burnt by the intense heat. The pink-haired teenager ran to her teacher, the fire technique vanishing in wisps of light grey into the air.

"Sensei!" She screamed, kneeling at her teacher's side.

"I-I'm fine," the long-black haired woman stammered, shakily lifting her hands to inspect the damage.

Her burnt digits were covered with angry red patches that spread across her fingers. Kikyo grit her teeth in mild pain as she attempted to move them.

"Here, let me heal them." Sakura offered. The woman nodded, the green-eyed girl's hands hovering over scorched ones. A soft lime green glowed, making the jounin sigh and relax as her student healed her hands.

See, she would've healed them herself, but she wanted to see Sakura's healing abilities and how far her progress was in medical ninjutsu.

"Sakura," Kikyo stated, "how advanced are you in healing?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, the Genin answered honestly. "Umm, I can heal injuries and assess conditions, but I'm still learning."

"I see." Was her response as she glanced down to speculate her hands. Her slender digits healed nicely, as she moved them one by one; smiling when she gradually regained use of her hands.

"You're excellent at medical ninjutsu, Sakura. You should find a teacher to extend your abilities." The archer complimented.

"H-Hai," The young girl was suddenly bashful, "Can you heal as well?"

"Yes, but my healing is...different than yours. The colour that usually glows when I heal is a heavenly blue, while yours is a soft green. That's because I have my own original way of healing shinobi." The tawny-eyed woman explained, healing her hands back to their original state.

"Oh, I see." The Genin understood, nodding in amazement.

"Anyways, try working more on controlling the whips and not the amount of power that you pour into it." The long-black haired woman instructed, lifting herself off the ground and brushing her nagabakama off to remove dirt. "We'll work here again, at the same time." She added before walking off.

* * *

**At the Hospital...**

Naruto woke up three days later, confused when he saw russet-coloured orbs gazing at him.

"Hello, Naruto." Kikyo greeted with a small wave.

"Huh...? Kikyo? Where...Where am I?" The blonde asked sleepily.

"The hospital. They said that you were sleeping for three days straight. Shikamaru stopped by your room and handed a fruit basket for you to eat. Actually, I think he's still here, visiting Ino." The woman notified, adjusting the curtains in his room.

"Really? Ino's injuries were that serious?" The Genin inquired, absentmindedly snatching an apple from the basket.

"Mmm. They're really cute together, despite that they're teammates." The archer commented, turning back to face Kakashi's student. "But never mind about that, how are you feeling?" She queried.

"I'm exhausted, but also anxious for the finals—when is it again?" The blue-eyed Genin scratched his head, straining to remember.

Kikyo frowned and replied, "It's tomorrow, Naruto."

Silence passed before—

_**"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?"**_

* * *

Hey! I know I haven't updated for—HOLY CRAP THAT LONG—ehm, a _while_ but I assure you, I am continuing this story. My brain wasn't really functioning well this chapter, so I'm sorry if it seems a little lazy. But I will be doing a flashback—a long one—Sakura's training with Kikyo filling in the details with what happened, etc.

**BUT OH MY GOD**

**PREPARE YOURSELVES**

**YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE THROWN INTO THE BIGGEST PLOT TWIST IN THIS STORY—_SO FAR_—**

**Read and Review! I love you all!**


	5. Belligerence

Sakura's Determination

~ {Belligerence} ~

* * *

"It's tomorrow?!" Naruto yelped when he fell off his bed.

"Yes…" Kikyo steadily replied, kneeling down to his level to help him back onto his bed. "Why? Did you not have enough training?" The archer questioned, concerned.

"Heh! No, I got enough training." The blonde replied with a grin.

"Then why are you so worried?" She asked, brushing dirt off his shoulders from his fall.

"I'm not worried! Just surprised, that's all." The Genin chuckled.

"Well alright," The tawny-eyed woman agreed, "I've got to go, Naruto. Is your trainer coming to—" The jounin cut off when the door opening.

"Naruto, you have a lot of explain—Oh, Kikyo. I didn't know that you were here." Kakashi's face appeared from behind the door as he walked into the room.

"Hello, Kakashi." The pale woman greeted.

"Huh? What do I have to explain, Kaka-sensei?" The blue-eyed blonde inquired, puzzled.

"I assigned Ebisu to supervise your training and he told me that Jiraiya-sama is helping you." The silver-haired jounin sounded stern as he continued, "You completely disobeyed my orders."

Concerned, the long black-haired woman interjected, "Now hold on Kakashi, I'm sure that Narut—"

"—Stay out of this, Kikyo!" The Sharingan-user almost shouted, his hair covering his face. Naruto visibly flinched at his tone as he darted his gaze to the woman's face. Her russet orbs were wide and her face was paler than usual. Silently, she gave a numb nod, her black hair shadowing her eyes and turned to the door, making her exit.

Once the door was quietly shut, the masked jounin gave a frustrated sigh, lifting his hand up to his face and massaged his head; only glancing to the door for a few moments. "The point is Naruto, you completely ignored my orders." He stated.

"Well it's not my fault! The pervert wasn't even that great! The white-haired pervert was better!" The blonde crossed his arms stubbornly, "and are you going to apologize to Kikyo?"

"Wha—that's none of your concern." Kakashi controlled his emotions, softening his gaze at his student. "Next time, just give me a heads up when these sort of things happen, alright?" Without waiting for the Genin's reply, the lightning user opened the door and scanned the hallway for Kikyo.

_'Damn…where'd she go?'_ He thought, cursing.

**With Kikyo…**

Teleporting to the Hokage's office, the tall woman appeared in front of the Hokage's desk.

"You called, Hokage-sama?" She inquired.

"Ah, yes. Kikyo-san. You must have heard the rumours that Orochimaru is lurking nearby." Sarutobi stated, but to her ears it sounded like a question. Slightly deterred, she confirmed, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Kikyo… I cannot face him. I know it is foolish to fear what we have not yet faced, but I know my strength." The Third Hokage confessed.

"And you want me to…" The long-haired woman drifted, unsure of where this was heading.

"I want you to kill him if I cannot." Sarutobi stated solemnly.

Russet orbs widened at the request. Seeing her reaction, Sarutobi added, "I know that this is much to ask, but I trust you and your strength. You have improved immensely over the years." The wrinkles around his face crinkled as he broke out a grin.

Speechless, Kikyo barely registered the white and red robed man putting his hand on her shoulder comfortingly briefly before walking out the door.

She lowered her head slightly, contemplating what she was just told and asked of. _'I…I must not tell anyone, no matter what the consequences.' _Kikyo concluded, agreeing with her decision.

* * *

Sighing, the 25-year-old turned and exited the Hokage's office, making her way out to the village market streets.

***Flashback***

"_Sakura, I want to see the Heaven Fire whips again to see if you have more control over them. Then when I see that you have mastered it, I'll teach you the other techniques." Kikyo stated, pulling her arrows that lodged into the targets. _

_"Hai, Kikyo-sama." The pinkette responded quickly, stepping away from the woman in fear that she might be hurt again._

_Sakura quickly performed the hand signs as two flame whips appeared almost immediately. _

_"You've been practicing…" The archer noticed, her eyes twinkling in appreciation. _

_Blushing at being discovered, Sakura hastily retorted, "I-It's not that I'm nervous! It's just that I want to really master it!"_

_Smilingg at her attempt to hide herself, the woman answered her, "It's fine, Sakura. It's not bad that you want to master it so badly. The finals are the day after tomorrow anyways, so it's okay to be a little anxious. Now, I'm going to attack you directly, so you'll have to use the fire whips as a weapon." Seeing the worried expression clear in her viridian orbs, the jounin assured her student that she would be fine._

_The tawny-eyed woman lunged at Sakura, who wisely jumped back a couple of feet, swinging her whip at her teacher's waist. Kikyo managed two backhand springs, but on the second one, she reached her bow and arrow; landing with her right leg on the ground. Equipping her weapon quickly, she fired her weapon at the pinkette who gasped at her speed. _

_Regaining composure, Sakura quickly slashed the arrow in half, the burnt remains falling into ashes on the ground. Glancing to where the archer was, the Genin found that Kikyo disappeared. Sensing a presence behind her, the pinkette quickly ducked to avoid the jounin's kick. The emerald-eyed girl spun on her heel and stuck her leg out in attempt to trip her teacher._

_Her effort was successful. The long black-haired woman stumbled, but quickly back-flipped and threw several kunai at the young kunoichi. With determination clear in her orbs, Sakura moved her arms gracefully, melting all the weapons that were speeding towards her._

_With all the flames in front of her, the russet-eyed woman didn't notice that her student made a clone until she felt the cold blade upon her slender neck. _

_"Very impressive, Sakura." She complimented once the Genin released her. _

_"I will now teach you the other techniques. Now, these are simpler because they need less chakra." Kikyo stated as Sakura's fire whips abated into the breeze._

"_Hai, Kikyo-sensei. My super strength is efficient, but if I throw a boulder at Temari she might send it back with strong wind." Sakura explained, putting her slender digit against her lips to think. _

_"I know. That fan is really difficult to work with. But if you have enough chakra—which you do—you may be able to pull of another round of the fire whips. Wind only helps to strengthen fire attacks, so that makes her vulnerable." The pale-skinned woman concluded._

_ 'So her uchiwa would only help to increase the fire attack…WAIT A MINUTE…UCHIWA?__ Sasuke uses fire attacks…and his clan symbol looks like a fan…NO. FOCUS! It's just a coincidence. This isn't a sign from Kami that you're destined to become an Uchiha.' Sakura's face coloured and lightly became a shade of cerise at her thoughts. _

_"Sakura, are you feeling alright? Your face is a little flushed." Kikyo snapped her back to reality._

_"Y-Yeah. Can we get to the techniques?" She inquired, her voice noticeably squeaky._

***End Flashback***

* * *

Naruto departed from the hospital, wandering back home. He didn't bother to go Ichiraku's because the hospital already gave him his dinner, even if it was some vegetable soup. Unlocking the door, he entered his messy apartment and scanned the area for his bed; wishing there was someone to help him clean when he was too lazy or forgetful._ 'Maybe Hinata could help me...'_ He thought, a smile creeping onto his face. _'Whoa, where'd that thought come from...I'm probably just too tired...'_ The blonde sleepily agreed with himself, collapsing into his blankets; falling into slumber almost immediately.

A pink-haired Genin wandered home, weary of her intense training from the day before. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked up to the sunset; shades of amber with a tinge of tangerine, brink pink slowly mixing and transforming into a blue-gray; ending with Persian blue that eventually faded into the darkness of the approaching night.

A warm evening breeze blew by ruffling Sakura's long carnation pink locks as she continued to stare. The emerald-eyed girl smiled in content when she suddenly felt hungry. _'That's right...I only had some bento for lunch and a bottle of water...'_ The Genin frowned, not knowing where to eat. She looked back down, stuffed her hand into the secret pocket of her kimono and counted 3 yen which would only afford a stick of dango. Beginning to complain, the pinkette bumped into someone's toned chest, making her stumble backwards and almost fall.

A pale arm shot out and quickly wrapped around Sakura's waist before she plummeted to the ground.

"Hn. I thought you were more careful than that, Sakura." A voice deadpanned, a tone that sounded almost amused.

"Sasuke...W-What are you doing here?" Sakura's viridian orbs shimmered as village light lamps now softly glowed.

"Tch, I finished training just now and was going to get something to eat. You?" The dark-haired boy inquired.

"Umm, I was planning to get something to eat—"

"—Then come on," The Uchiha interrupted, "we'll go to Ichiraku's."

"But I—"

"—want to eat when all the restaurants are closed?" He smirked when she was left speechless. The Sharingan-user turned and began walking to the ramen stand, his female teammate following after with a small sigh.

The emerald-eyed girl and the onyx-eyed boy walked there in silence, the heels of their sandals clacking against the floor. The sun slowly disappeared into the horizon, leaving streaks of lavender pink and phthalo blue in its wake.

**At Ichiraku's...**

They both sat down on stools next to each other because they were familiar with Naruto and Kakashi being there when they finished training or a mission.

"What are you kids still doing here?" Teuchi questioned, "Shouldn't you two be resting at home? The finals are tomorrow."

"We wanted to grab something to eat." Sakura answered, smiling sweetly at the owner.

"Ah, so what'll it be?" Teuchi asked.

"Pork ramen, please." The pinkette ordered.

"Hn. Miso ramen." The Uchiha stated.

"Coming right up!" The man responded, preparing their meals while Ayame made conversation.

"So, are you two here for a good luck meal for tomorrow?" Teuchi's granddaughter queried.

"No, we're just here to eat because we trained all day." The emerald-eyed Genin gestured to her dirty kimono.

"Ah, I see. You should get that washed, Haruno-san." Ayame suggested.

"Hmm, I might get something else to wear for tomorrow. My kimono's wearing down anyways and I need to mend some patches that damaged the fabric." The thirteen year old waved it off casually.

"Here's your ramen!" Teuchi stated, handing two steamy bowls of ramen to the hungry pre-teens.

"Arigato!" Sakura chimed as she snapped her chopsticks in half. The boy next to her did the same as they both began to eat.

By the time they ended their meal , it was about 8 in the evening.

"I'll pay," Sasuke stated, taking out some yen.

"But—" The pinkette was about to protest when the dark-haired boy already handed the money to Ayame.

"Thank you! Please come again!" She cheered happily, waving to them.

"So, um...thanks for dinner, Sasuke." Sakura awkwardly thanked her teammate.

_ 'Why...does it feel so awkward? It's just Sasuke,'_ She thought.

"Hn, it's fine." The boy deadpanned and began walking away.

"See you tomorrow!" Sakura waved before jogging back home.

* * *

**HELLO!**

**Sorry that I haven't updated in a while!**

**I think this chapter was definitely lazy. I am sorry, but THE BIG PLOT TWIST IS COMING UP IN A FEW CHAPTERS**

**I don't know, some people may not really find it a plot twist, but I like to think it is.**

**Question for you to think about!**

**-Why did Kakashi snap at Kikyo all of a sudden?**

**P.S. Uchiha is a reference to Uchiwa which means fans. That's why Sasuke's clan symbol is a fan and his key jutsus are mostly fire. Fans/Wind help fire to become stronger. So, if Sakura is versing Temari (who uses a giant fan, mind you) and she uses a fire jutsu, her attack will be more dominant.**


	6. Final Stage of the Chuunin Exams!

Sakura's Determination

~ {Final Stage of the Chuunin Exams!} ~

* * *

Konoha's bright, large green doors were opened, shinobi of different countries and status filing in one by one.

"Finally…The Chuunin Exams!" Sarutobi exclaimed, looking from the Hokage tower down at the village below. The shinobi made their way to the stadium, the once vacant seats now seating multitudes of people and spectators.

**In a Forest..**

Birds were chirping as two shinobi, Neji and TenTen finished last minute training together. Weapons were scattered all over the ground in a circle around the male Hyuuga—who stood solemnly still.

"P_—_Perfect, Neji!" The weapon heiress stuttered, a little out of breath.

"Thank you, TenTen. But that's enough of a warm up…let's go."

**In Naruto's apartment…**

Naruto woke up lazily, sitting up in bed as he sighed to himself; realizing what today was. _'Finally…the main event…I'm so nervous I could barely sleep.'_ He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, blinking. _'First up…against him…'_ The male shinobi gulped, his mind already echoing the name. _'Hyuuga Neji!'_

After he did his morning routine, Naruto began to walk down the street towards the Team 7 training grounds, assuring himself along the way that he would be fine. Once he got there, he saw Hinata.

"Hinata…you're alright now!" Naruto cheered, jogging his way over to her. The lavender-eyed girl quickly turned, recognizing her crush's voice.

"O-Oh! Naruto-kun…why are you here? Isn't today the finals..?" She shyly inquired.

"Well, I just came to check out this field cause this is the place where I became a Genin." He scratched his head.

"Oh…I see." She nodded, understandingly. But when the blonde sighed a little depressively, Hinata began to worry.

"W-What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" The Hyuuga questioned, her tone laced with hesitance.

"Ne, Hinata...Neji's your cousin, right?" He asked.

"H-Hai…" She answered.

"And he's strong, right?" The male Genin continued.

"Hai…But I think you'll be able to defeat him, Naruto-kun. B-Because…I believe in you." Hinata confessed, making the whiskered boy blush a shade of light pink.

"W-Wha? You believe in me, Hinata?" The deep blue-eyed boy stuttered, bewildered.

"H-Hai…When you cheered for me back in the Preliminaries…I felt like I had become stronger. And after that, I started liking myself a little more. To other people, it may not seem very noticeable…but I felt like I was able to change.." She paused, remembering her words.

***Flashback***

"_I… don't go… back...on my words..! That is also…__**my**__ ninja way.."_

***End Flashback***

"It was thanks to you, Naruto-kun." The blue-haired girl finished, slashes of cerise appearing on her cheeks.

"Thanks to me, eh? Hinata…do you…really think that?" Naruto queried.

"Of course." Hinata affirmed.

"I may appear strong to you but that's because I act all tough because I'm frustrated from always failing…" Naruto professed, looking down at the ground.

"That's not true…even when you fail, in my eyes…you're a proud failure!" The timid girl objected, making the blonde look up at her words.

"When I look at you…I get an intense feeling in my heart…because you're not perfect…Because when you fail, you always have the strength to get back up and that's what I believe true strength is. I-I think you are an incredibly strong person, Naruto-kun." The Hyuuga heiress smiled, making the Genin grin and say, "Thanks, Hinata! I feel great now!" Naruto cheered, continuing, "You know, A person like you…I really like!" He was about to march off, but he remembered something.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Do you want to go on a date with me sometime?" The blonde requested; a tinge of pink on his whiskered cheeks.

"O-Okay!" Hinata squeaked, blushing also.

"R-Really? Great!" The hyperactive ninja grinned even wider; now marching off happily away from the blue-haired girl.

"Oi! You better come and watch me kick Neji's ass!" Naruto yelled from a distance.

**At the Stadium…**

"Eh? Where's Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan?" The young blonde wondered aloud, looking around for any sign of them. "Oi, stop looking around." Hayate coughed before continuing, "Face the customers. In this main tournament, you guys are the stars."

**With the Hokage…**

"Sakura seems to be missing as well as Sasuke…" The Hokage mused, when suddenly a jounin appeared.

"We haven't found Sasu—!" The jounin promptly cut off, a sudden tornado of leaves appearing on the battlefield. Two silhouettes were identified within the mass of leaves and once the leaves settled, it revealed Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke.

"Oi! Teme! Have you seen Sakura-chan?" Naruto interrogated.

"Eh? Sakura's missing?" Kakashi sounded bewildered.

"Hn, no. I haven't seen her since yesterday." The Uchiha replied, his brows furrowing in confusion. _'Sakura isn't one to be late unless something's up.' _He reasoned to himself.

"Oi, maybe she's—"

"—Okay! It's time to begin the matches!" The dark-haired boy was cut off by Hayate announcing the matches.

The Kazekage-dono arrived, greeting the Hokage. Smiling, Sarutobi greeted back politely and stood up, "**THANKS EVERYONE FOR COMING TO THE HIDDEN LEAF CHUUNIN SELECTION EXAM! WE WILL NOW START THE MAIN TOURNAMENT MATCHES BETWEEN THE 10 PARTICIPANTS WHO MADE IT THROUGH THE PRELIMINARIES. PLEASE STAY AND WATCH UNTIL THE END!**" He shouted, his voice echoing through the silent stadium.

"If it's 10…one participant is missing." The Kazekage-dono mused aloud.

"Here are the matches to refresh your memory." Hayate showed them the piece of paper once more.

"Hey! I have a question!" Naruto called the proctor.

"What is it?" The jounin questioned.

"Sakura-chan isn't here yet, what are you going to do?" The blonde inquired.

Keeping a bored face, Hayate stated, "If she doesn't appear by the time of her match, she'll be disqualified."

"Alright, this is the final test. The arena is different; but there are no rules. You either fight until one of you dies or acknowledges defeat. But if I determine that the fight is over…I'll step in and stop it." The jounin finished, coughing.

"The first fight, Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji. Those two stay here while the rest go to the waiting room."

**Up in the crowd…**

"Hey, Hinata! It's free here." Kiba gestured to two vacant seats, the two shinobi sitting.

"This will be good." The Inuzuka commented. _'Naruto-kun…'_ Hinata thought, intently watching the blonde ninja. But people around them began to criticize and whisper that the blue-eyed Genin was weak; making the blue-haired Hyuuga clench her fists in her lap.

Akamaru suddenly began to whine, alerting Kiba.

"What is it, Akamaru?" He whispered, listening closely.

"What? Where—" He looked around and promptly spotted the ANBU lurking behind in the shadows._ 'An ANBU? What's going on?'_ He thought, narrowing his eyes.

**At the Battlefield…**

Naruto was glaring at Neji, which made him smirk.

"Looks like you have something to say…" He stated.

The blonde Genin raised his fist, stating, "I told you before…You're going down!"

The male Hyuuga glared before activating his Byakugan; staring down at Naruto. _'He completely believes in himself…'_ Neji speculated, preparing himself. Hayate began the fight with Neji shifting into a defensive stance.

"Hehe…this'll be interesting…it will be amusing and fun to watch you crumble like Hinata-sama when you discover reality." The lavender-eyed male smirked arrogantly.

"Stop all the blabbering! Let's fight!" Naruto clenched his fists with determination blazing in his blue orbs.

* * *

Hello! I haven't updated for a while, I know. And you all should be pissed. I am sorry for that, but I may put off this story for a little bit cause I want to develop and progress 'Rina Haruno'. But fear not! Once I've updated and edited a bit of 'Rina Haruno', I'll work on Sakura's Determination.

_Ugh. I did not like this chapter. I hope you all will forgive me if it seems a little lazy._


	7. Destiny

Sakura's Determination

~ {Destiny} ~

* * *

Both shinobi stood in silence, the Hyuuga regarding Naruto with cold lavender eyes._'I can't get too close to him or else he'll block my chakra…I'll fight from a distance!'_ The blond shinobi formed the Tiger seal and clones appeared—each equipped with a kunai. Neji narrowed his eyes, the Byakugan seeing that all the clones had equal parts of chakra.

"Interesting…"He murmured, smirking a little. "Let's see how far your skills get you!"

All the clones of Naruto grinned, each uttering parts of a single statement, "Hey! Stop disrespecting me!" With that said, they all rushed at the other male opponent. Neji smirked and dispersed all the clones with a few simple moves.

"Become Hokage, eh?" The brown-haired shinobi taunted, "It's impossible. I can see it with my eyes. Talent is decided at your birth. You could say everything is decided when a person is born—"

"—WHY THE HELL DO YOU ALWAYS AUTOMATICALLY DECIDE THINGS LIKE THAT?!" Naruto shouted, bright blue orbs narrowed into an angry glare.

"Then, are you saying that _anyone_ can become Hokage through hard work? Only a handful of skilled shinobi are chosen as Hokage." Neji corrected, "Look closer at reality! Those that become Hokage are born into that destiny. You don't become it by trying. It is decided by fate."

The male Hyuuga paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"The only destiny that every person shares...is death."

The Kyuubi host let confusion seep into his features for a moment before regaining his composure and yelling, "So what?! I'm not good at giving up!"

Naruto summoned more clones, making them all charge and attack Neji. The lavender-eyed boy dodged and maneuvered his way towards the real Naruto—who was in the background, watching all his clones.

The pale-skinned Hyuuga attacked Naruto, sealing his chakra points—and making all his clones disappear.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata worriedly whispered, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

The blond shinobi coughed blood as Neji backed away, looking down at the Genin with a triumphant smirk, "That's why I told you it was useless."

With weary and shaky eyes, Naruto glanced up at Neji and rasped, "That's why...I told you..to stop automatically deciding things.." A bloody grin appeared onto his whiskered cheeks as he disappeared.

"What?!" The Hyuuga spun on his heel, only to find two more clones charging at him.

"YES! GO, NARUTO!" Kiba cheered on, pumping his fist energetically in the air.

"Naruto-kun..." The shy female Hyuuga smiled, watching the match with beaming lavender orbs.

"I'm coming at you...with everything I got and ready to die!" The blond shinobi loudly declared, fists pulled back and aimed at Neji's face.

For a second, it seemed that Naruto had actually hit Neji. But at the last second, chakra gathered and protected the brown-haired male from the attack, the Hyuuga spinning on his heels and rotating, creating a protective barrier.

The blue-eyed Genin slid on his back, rubbing his cheek from the rough impact. _'What..What the hell was that?!'_ Naruto groaned.

"You thought...you had won?" Neji smirked, making the blond growl.

_'What the..Naruto's punch should have connected,' _Sasuke's brow furrowed at the rotating sphere that protected the Hyuuga.

_'That's Neji's defense..his sphere of vision with the Byakugan is nearly 360 degrees. He can basically see all around himself. With the Byakugan, he can sense all of his opponent's attacks. From his defense system, Hakkeshou Kaiten begins!'_ TenTen speculated, watching proudly from the stands. _'Before the attack lands, he releases a large amount of chakra from the chakra openings throughout his body. This stops the enemy's attack and gives him time to spin his body and blast the attack away!'_

"It's over," Neji voiced, closing his eyes, "You're in my range." The Hyuuga crouched into a low stance and stated, "Gentle Fist Style: 64 Palms."

With speed and power, the lavender-eyed Hyuuga hit 64 of Naruto's chakra pathways—effectively sealing them.

"Does it hurt? Let it serve a reminder that having your dreams come true through hard work is an illusion." The pale-skinned boy spoke sternly. Naruto glared at him silently from the ground, his teeth gritting.

Hinata suddenly broke out in a coughing fit, lavender orbs scanning the broken form sprawled on the ground. _'Na..Naruto-kun..! Please..get up and fight!'_

_'Damn_ it..' Naruto cursed as his body trembled with pain.

Lee's match and Hinata's match flashed through his mind—the way that Lee still stood even though his body wanted to rest, the way that Hinata was panting for air and blood was dribbling at the corner of her mouth.

_'Please..get up and fight!'_ A voice in his mind pleaded, a soft voice that he recognized as Hinata's.

Stern lavender orbs widened with amazement as the blond shakily stood, panting his words, "I told you...I'm not good at giving up..!"

_'This guy...Impossible..'_ Neji furrowed his brow at his determination.

Hinata coughed blood, alerting Kiba. "Hey! You're bleeding..!"

_'Keep fighting, Naruto-kun...'_ Hinata cheered on, wiping the crimson off her lips with her sleeve. "I—I want to stay and watch him," She gasped out to Kiba.

"The damage from your fight hasn't healed yet, are you sure—"

"—Yes. I need to stay." The female Hyuuga spoke.

"Quit already..continuing won't change anything. I have no grudge against you—"

"—SHUT UP! I HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST_ YOU_!" Naruto growled.

"What do you mean?" Neji inquired.

"Why—Why, if you're this strong, Why, with those eyes that can see _everything.._did you mentally attack Hinata, who was trying so hard?" The blond snarled._  
_

Hinata widened her lavender orbs, hearing her name fall from Naruto's lips.

"That's none of your business." The male Hyuuga retorted, the veins around his eyes straining as Byakugan slowly activated.

"Insulting Hinata, automatically deciding she's a loser! Main family branch family...I don't know what the hell happened.." The Genin's face darkened, "But pieces of shit like you who call other people losers...I will never forgive!"

The blue-haired Hyuuga's lips melted into a smile as tears beaded at the corners of her eyes._ 'Thank you,_ _Naruto-kun...'_

Neji regarded the blond shinobi for a moment before a smirk graced his lips.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play it, I'll tell you..the Hyuuga's destiny of hatred."

"The main family has a..._special_ ninjutsu that has been passed down..and it's a curse seal jutsu." Neji began, "The curse of the mark represents "A bird in a cage." It is the symbol of being tied down to an inescapable destiny." The Hyuuga paused for a moment, reaching up to untie his headband.

A large mint green 'X' was printed on the pale-skin of Neji's forehead.

"One day, when I was four, I had this seal carved into my forehead through that Curse Seal Jutsu. That day, a grand ceremony was taking place in the Leaf. A shinobi leader from the Cloud Country—which had been warring with the Leaf for many years, had arrived to sign an alliance treaty."

All the audience was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"But at this ceremony which everyone attended, from Jounin to Genin, one clan was missing—and that was the Hyuuga clan. Because that was the day that the Hyuuga heir turned three."

"It was Hinata-sama's third birthday."

The female Hyuuga closed her eyes in resignation and reflection.

Naruto looked up the audience, finding the shy girl among everyone. His mind remembered a past memory as he looked to the ground.

***Flashback***

_A small blonde boy with sky-blue eyes was walking along the street, passing many people that were cheering._

_'What's going on?' He wondered as he followed the crowd, his small legs running and taking him as far as they could. After passing several houses, Naruto panted, resting his weight on his knees as he caught his breath. The crowd kept moving and cheering, paying no heed to the child._

_"I'm too—tired to run anymore.." The blond child panted, looking around. He was in front of a large house, a grand entrance with the symbol of the Hyuuga clan. Pressing himself against the door, Naruto peeked inside.  
_

_"Happy birthday, Hinata-sama!" A voice cheered._

_"Tha—Thank you," A petite girl with short dark hair stuttered, twiddling with her fingers as she blushed._

_'She's pretty..' Naruto absentmindedly thought, continuing to stare._

***End Flashback***

_'So that's what was happening that day...'_ Naruto inwardly thought and followed Neji's gaze into the audience.

"My father, Hyuuga Hizashi and Hinata-sama's father, Hyuuga Hiashi were twins. But Hinata-sama's father was born first and became a member of the Main House and my father became part of the Branch House."

Anger pulsed through the blond's veins, "Why do you need that mark to distinguish the main and branch families?"

"This mark is not a decoration..I was instructed to protect Hinata-sama with all my strength and power." The brown-haired boy grunted, a frown marring his features.

_'You mustn't forget your duty...!'_

"With this seal, the Main Family controls the life of the Branch Family. It can cause excruciating pain—and this curse will only disappear after death, as well as sealing the Byakugan's abilities. The secrets of the Byakugan must be safe and protected." Neji stated.

Pausing for a moment, the male Hyuuga glared at the ground, "But...that _incident_ occured.."

"What? What incident?" Naruto inquired.

"...my father was _killed_ by the Main Family."

* * *

Wow. It has been a while since I have updated. If you've read the summary of Sakura's Revelation, I'm basically going to re-edit it and just get rid of all the different POV's. I'm not changing any of the story line/plot. It's going to take me a while because well, there's 45 chapters to edit.

Hopefully when I'm done editing, the chapters will be shorter..and have more content.

But oh _god._ Re-reading some of my stuff is just making me cringe and want to delete the story itself so I can edit it and just re-upload it onto here. And thanks to a good friend on here and on Tumblr—she helped me realize that Sasuke was a bit OOC and she's _so good at writing like ohmygod I'm jealous—_ but yeah.

Please keep reviewing and I'll see you next chapter! C:


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